Pearl Hearts
by ImmortalMortal
Summary: Sora. II'm sick. Riku muttered, while looking up at a tree, and softly plucking a paopu fruit from it.
1. Don't Leave Me

She put her hand over his and when he looked at her in curiosity, she only smiled. It was always like this. She would puzzle him and confuse him and when he'd look at her with inquiring eyes, she'd never answer. Only smile, and look away. It had been this way for a long time.  
Sora looked up at the starry sky, never noticing Kairi's gaze fixated on him. This was the part about him that irritated her. He was so naïve that he never understood her actions of affection towards him. She averted her gaze to follow Sora's, never taking her hand from his. That is, until a third person walked onto the scene, she quickly pulled her hand away.  
"Sora, can I talk to you for a moment?" The third person, a boy with white hair, called Riku, asked.  
The younger boy nodded, a smile on his face and he stood, bowing politely to Kairi. He turned from her to follow Riku and she could no longer see the deep blue color of his eyes. She watched as the two boys walked away together and then turned her attention back to the rolling waves of the sea.  
"Sora. I-I'm sick." Riku muttered, while looking up at a tree, and softly plucking a paopu fruit from it.  
Sora's head jerked up to look at his best friend. His blue eyes, which normally appeared to sparkle, dimmed.  
"Just what do you mean, Riku?" He asked, a tremor in his voice. The older boy, gave a fake chuckle and ruffled the younger boy's brown hair affectionately, "I mean, I won't be with you and Kairi for much longer."  
Tears welled up in the younger boy's eyes and he threw himself in to Riku's arms. Sighing, Riku returned the embrace. Sora had always been very affectionate, but tonight, Riku realized, could very well be the last time he'd be able to hug Sora, or it may not be.  
"Do me a favor, Sora. Please don't tell Kairi. She's always so happy and something like this would tear her fragile heart apart." The white- haired boy insisted.  
He didn't know how he did it, but for the next few weeks, Sora was able to push the thought of Riku's sickness back into a corner of his mind. It was as if his friend had never even said the words that he had thought he'd heard. Occasionally, however, he'd remember and he'd have to excuse himself to be alone for awhile. Sometimes to think things over, and others, to cry.  
Sora was watching Kairi and Riku while sitting on the roots of a tree, his legs crossed in front of him on the sand. Riku had pointed something out on the beach that had washed ashore and picked it up and handed it to Kairi. As the object passed from Riku's fingers to Kairi's, Sora noticed a slight gleam. The girl smiled and said something to Riku, who nodded, before the girl leapt into his arms, a large grin on her face. Sora was too far away to hear them speak, although when he heard Riku's voice, it seemed so distant anyway.  
"Riku, what's it called again?" Kairi asked, rotating the spherical object in her hand, that night as the three sat under the starry sky.  
"It's a pearl, and I believe they're very rare, so keep it safely with you. Always." Riku explained, with a smile on his lips.  
Kairi smiled, and laid back into the sand. Sora sighed and wondered how long they'd be able to stay like this. He hoped for all eternity. That was impossible, however, because Riku was living his last days. Sighing, the brown-haired boy stood and left without a word to the other two. He went somewhere quiet, far enough away from the both of them. Then he let the tears fall down his face, softening the sand where they landed into wet mud. Silently, he cried, his strength leaving his body. He laid down on his side and closed his eyes. Drifting off to sleep, he dreamt of the three of them trying to get off Destiny Islands.  
"Riku. I don't know what to do with Sora." Kairi sighed, putting the small gem into her pocket.  
Riku gave her a puzzled look and she went on to explain, "I have feelings for him. Yet, everytime I try to do something to show him this, he doesn't notice!"  
Riku sighed, looking down at the ground, he seemed hurt, "You've shown him affection all his life. He's also a bit too naïve to notice the small details, you need to do something that he'd know was not a normal act of affection, but an act of love."  
"Like what, though? I feel as if I've tried everything." Kairi said, a single tear slipping down her cheek.  
"Something like this." Riku said, putting his hand on her face, and wiping away her tear with his thumb, then taking her in his arms and kissing her warm lips.  
Kairi's eyes widened. "What's he doing?! He's not playing around! He's. Serious." She thought. 


	2. Set Me Free

Kairi laid in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had one finger placed gently on her lips, carefully tracing them, and remembering the taste of Riku's kiss. 'He told me he loved me... And all I did was...' She thought, rolling over and crying into her pillow, "Was walk away!" She mumbled through tears.  
  
Riku sat alone on the beach, deep in thought. He felt the white waves washing ashore on his bare feet. Sora was watching from a distance and he could see his older friend was deep in thought. Thinking about something important, and the young boy felt the need to inquire. Could the white haired boy be thinking about his health issue? Sora plopped down on the sand beside Riku, and the older bishounen averted his gaze to meet Sora's. "Riku... Your eyes... They're bloodshot." Sora whispered quietly, "What's wrong?"  
  
"My chest hurts... I was afraid to sleep." Riku admitted, staring down at the golden sand between his feet.  
  
He was telling the truth, his chest hurt both physically and emotionally.  
  
"Afraid you weren't going to wake up?" Sora asked curiously, as his friend merely nodded. The expression written upon Riku's face made Sora fear for the older boy's life.  
  
"I'm also afraid... Kairi will never speak to me again." Riku sighed, burying his face in his hands.  
  
Wide eyed, Sora looked at his friend, "What do you mean, Riku? What happened?"  
  
"I... I kissed her..." Riku whispered.  
  
Sora smiled. It was one of the rare times he'd smiled since the news of his friend's sickness had first entered his ears, "Wow, Riku." Was all he could say to his friend. And he cursed himself for not offering words of comfort or something to cheer him up. He just couldn't think of anything at the moment.  
  
"I had to tell her I loved her... Before I died..." Riku mumbled quietly, "I don't care if she doesn't love me back! I just wanted her to know..." Sighing, Riku looked at Sora, to try to read what the boy was thinking.  
  
Sora shrugged, "Gomen Nasai, Riku, but I really don't know what to say... I wish I could tell you something to make you feel better, or tell you what Kairi's thinking... But... I'm not Kairi, and I can't tell you how she thinks."  
  
With that, the brown haired boy stood up, said he'd talk to Riku later. He put his hand on his friend's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze before walking away.  
  
Silently, Kairi watched. Something told her that Riku wasn't alright, that she may have hurt him. A guilty feeling washed over her like waves in the cool waters of the ocean, only this time, they were hot. 'I need to talk to him...' She thought. Sighing, and straightening her shoulders, she walked out into the sunlight and made her way over to where the boy was sitting. She stood behind him, blocking the sun so that she cast a shadow over him. She removed her shoes, and set them far enough up on the beach where they wouldn't get wet. Then she moved to sit beside Riku, feeling the water wash over her toes. The silence hung in the air, until Riku finally decided to break it.  
  
"Kairi, I... I'm sorry." Riku said.  
  
"Don't be. You got farther with me than I did with Sora." She admitted, "The truth is, Riku, I don't know what to think anymore. I thought I would be happy with Sora, when in reality, he's only made me sad."  
  
"Why?" Riku asked.  
  
"He doesn't notice me. He obviously thinks we'll only be friends forever." She sighed.  
  
"Well... I'm off..." Riku stood up, dusting the sand off his pants and grabbing his shoes, before walking away.  
  
He watched the two of them together, wondering if his older friend had told the girl the truth. If he had, why did she seem so calm? What were they saying to one another? He slid his fingers through a few strands of brown hair. Then he was shocked to see the white haired boy stand and leave. If he had told her the truth, why wasn't he comforting her, like he did for Sora?  
  
"He left... I just explained the exact relationship between him and I. I don't even notice him. I thought we'd be friends forever...' Kairi thought. She got up from the golden sand, grabbing a handful of it as she did so. She held it in her palms loosely and only a few grains fell slowly. She then tightened her gripped it tight and the sand fell between her fingers. 'Like the sand, I'm holding onto Sora too tight. If I just hold him loose, I won't lose him like the sand and he'll stay right here.'  
  
That night, Kairi went to bed early and Sora and Riku weren't long to do the same.  
  
At different intervals in the night, Riku's breathing would stop for short periods of time. Then his body would fight to make him breathe again. This often continued for more than 5 seconds at a time. In a cold sweat, Riku clutched at his chest, his eyes wouldn't open. The 15-year old dreamt of escaping Destiny Islands. He was making the plans to leave all on his own, not wanting to include Sora and Kairi. As he laid in his bed, his breathing slowed, his sweating stopped, and his heart beat began slowing its pace as well. And in his dream, Riku left the islands. 


	3. Love Me

Kairi burst into Riku's room the next morning, "Hey, Riku! I have to talk to you!" She called out. The boy, however, did not stir. "Hey, come on, Riku, quit fooling around. There's something I need to tell you." She said, smiling and placing a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes widened when her fingers touched the boy's skin, it was cold. "R-Riku? Come on, Riku, wake up... Please, Riku! Open your eyes!" She shrieked, shaking him slightly. The motionless boy did nothing. She fell to her knees by his bedside, the tears rolling down her cheeks. She put her hand against his cold cheek and leaned up and placed her lips gently on his oddly warm lips. Pulling away, she moved to the center of the room, staring at him from afar. "SORA!!!" She cried out at the top of her lungs.  
  
Sora awoke with a start and he sat up quickly in his bed. 'My dream... It was so real! I dreamt that Riku got off Destiny Islands, leaving Kairi and I behind. Yet, he promised he'd come back for us.' He thought to himself. Suddenly, the sound of a desperate call for his name came to his ears. He threw back the blankets, the top of his bodysuit was unzipped and hanging from his waist. Quickly, he zipped it up, and threw on his hoody. He didn't even bother putting shoes on, and he immediately followed the sound of Kairi's voice.  
  
He burst in through Riku's door, to see Kairi crying on the floor. She was lying in the center of the dark room, balled up into a fetal position. Walking swiftly to her, he touched her shoulder lightly, and her head snapped up to look at him. A pain expression crossed her face and tears fell uncontrollably. Sora's first thought was that Riku had done something to her, and he looked up at the boy lying in his bed. Sora's heart lurched. Moving slowyl to Riku's bedside, he put his hand against Riku's cheek, only to jerk it back when he felt the extreme coldness of his skin. He dropped his arms to his sides, and his head fell.  
  
"Why... Why now, Riku? Couldn't you wait until we could handle this?" Sora asked the eternally asleep boy.  
  
Kairi came up behind Sora, who put a comforting arm around her. She gazed at Riku's peaceful expression. Tears fell on the bed and Sora pulled the hurt girl against him so she could cry into his shoulder. Silently, they both left the room.  
  
"He was sick..." Sora explained to Kairi, as he placed a lid over the casket in which they'd placed Riku. They planned to set him out to sea.  
  
"Then why didn't he tell me?" Kairi asked, through small tears.  
  
"He didn't want to hurt you... Although, by not telling you, he probably hurt you even more."  
  
Kairi merely nodded, silent tears flowing out of her eyes. 'I never got to tell him what I went to tell him in the first place...' She walked with Sora, helping him push the casket to the sandy beach. The water splashed against the container, which had holes in it. It would take him out far enough, filling with water slowly until the wood became water logged and sink.  
  
Kairi carefully dug a small hole in the lid of the casket. She took a small white object out of her pocket, gazing at it quietly as it sparkled. She sighed and held it to her heart before she gently placed it in the hole she chipped out of the wood. 'Even though... You told me to keep it forever, I'm not really giving it up. You see, I am you, and you are me. So no matter which one of us holds something precious, we'll both have it.' Kairi thought. With one final push, Sora had sent the casket out to sea.  
  
"Well..." He said putting his arm around Kairi.  
  
Kairi suddenly burst into tears and pushed away from Sora. She ran out into the water and stood in it up to her waist. "I LOVE YOU, RIKU!" She cried out painfully as her salty tears blended with the salty ocean. Sora watched her sadly, burying his face in one of his arms and wiping his tears on his sleeve. When he looked up again, he saw a sparkly gleam out where Riku was. He quickly ran to join Kairi in the water and he pointed to what he'd seen. She looked up sharply, some hope in her heart that perhaps Riku hadn't died after all. She saw the glint of the tiny gem in the sun and a smile fell on her lips.  
  
"H-He's smiling for us, Sora. He's saying goodbye, telling us everything's going to be okay." She said, and with a small chuckle, she waved. Sora smiled and waved as well as he watched his friend drift away from the island. The wind blew through their wet hair and they knew that Riku would never truly leave them. They waded back into shore and when they got on dry land, Sora embraced Kairi. When they seperated, they went about their everyday routine, an unusual blanket of sadness covering them. However, they knew Riku was always watching over their shoulders, ready to make a joke when they accidentally did something wrong.  
  
That night, as the duo sat under the stars, Sora whispered quietly, "I love you, Kairi." Kairi merely smiled.  
  
That's all there is. Though, I might wright a part two, I'm not exactly sure. If you want a part 2, tell me so. Don't ask me why I wrote this fic, I don't even know myself. I thought of it after I read a Soujiro fanfic and I was inspired to write a fic of my own, so I did a Kingdom Hearts one. I don't know why it's sad either, it may be the fact that the day I decided to write it, I was feeling a bit depressed. Also, I just thought I'd clear this up real quick. I don't support Sora X Kairi, Riku X Kairi, or Sora X Riku. I don't care about any pairings, so if you get mad at me because I put Riku with Kairi or hinted at Sora and Kairi, I don't want to hear about it. Disclaimer: I don't own KH or the characters. Although, the idea of the story belongs to me. I will gladly except any flames you may want to send my way, though don't be surprised if I find them downright hilarious and don't take them in an insulting way. That is all.  
  
DarkMichiru 


	4. Follow Up and Thank Yous

Hey guys! This isn't an actual chapter, but more of a follow-up. I want to thank all of those who reviewed, and so emotionally as well! You guys rock out loud. Also, I wanted to apologize to those who asked me to write a sequel. I actually did write one, but... I lost it. . And quite honestly, after 12 chapters and still not finished, I didn't feel like typing them all up and uploading them.

Pearl Heart is the only fanfiction I ever wrote. I didn't expect to get so much feedback. So, when I say thank you, I mean it sincerely. It's been years since the story was posted, and I still get at least one review every 1-2 months. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You all keep reading fanfiction, you're what keeps writers writing.


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